April 2018 ~ Illness

Tuesday, 10 April 2018

Bleeding From the Nose in Rabbits

April 10, 2018 Dieases, Rabbit No comments

Epistaxis in Rabbits

Epistaxis, or bleeding from the nose, occurs due to one of three abnormalities: blood clotting disorder, space-occupying tumor, or organ disease. Complications due to nose bleeds can range from relatively minor ones like sneezing to more severe health risks like anemia due to loss of blood, or respiratory, and circulatory system dysfunctions. The digestive system may also be affected if the rabbit swallows large amounts of blood.

Symptoms and Types

Bleeding from the nose
Sneezing, nasal discharge, staining of the front paws (with blood)
Excessive tear production
Excessive secretion of saliva
Loss of appetite
Blood in urine, stools, or in other parts of the body if hemorrhage is present
Black stools (from digested blood in stools) if swallowing of blood occurs

Causes

Rabbits are at higher risk of developing epistaxis if they have a weak immune system or if they are living in unhygienic conditions. The most common underlying causes, meanwhile, include the following:

Bacterial or fungal infection
Tooth root abscess
Foreign body in nose — mostly inhaled vegetable matter (e.g., grass and seeds)
Injury to teeth — often due to chewing on electric cords
Space occupying tumor or growths in nasal cavity
Blood clotting disorders — may be a reaction to anticoagulantchemicals

Diagnosis

Your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam on your rabbit, taking into account the background history of symptoms and possible incidents that might have led to this condition. There may be several possible causes for this condition, so your veterinarian will most likely use differential diagnosis to find the underlying disorder.

This process is guided by deeper inspection of the apparent outward symptoms, ruling out each of the more common causes until the correct disorder is settled upon and can be treated appropriately. A complete blood profile will be conducted, including a chemical blood profile and a complete blood count. The blood analysis may show a low blood cell count with anemia. The coagulation time of the blood will be assessed to find if the blood has the necessary clotting factors that are responsible for bringing about the cessation of bleeding. A lack of clotting factors in the blood can be directly responsible for excessive bleeding and hemorrhage.

Visual diagnostics will include X-rays of the skull and cheekbones to examine for tumors, growths or injuries, and X-rays of the chest to detect signs of respiratory system involvement and spread of tumors (if cancer is suspected). Depending on what has been found, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may also be performed on your rabbit. If growths or lesions are discovered, your veterinarian may need to perform a biopsy of the nasal tissues, or take samples for bone marrow studies. Blood and fluid samples will also be analyzed for bacterial and fungal infections.

Red Eye in Rabbits

April 10, 2018 Dieases, Rabbit 1 comment

Hyperemia and Red Eye in Rabbits

Red eye is a relatively common condition which causes swelling or irritation in the rabbit's eye or eyelid. This appearance of blood vessels in the eyeball can develop because of various reasons, including many systemic or body diseases. If your rabbit has red eye, seek veterinary advice immediately, as it is generally a secondary symptom to a more serious condition.

Symptoms and Types

The signs and symptoms of red eye and related conditions often depend on the underlying cause. For example, if the red eye is due to a dental disorder, there may be signs of tooth decay or dental disease in the animal. Other common signs and symptoms may include:

Impaired vision
Swollen eyelids
Eye discharge
Extra tissue around the eyes
Nasal discharge and upper respiratory infection or cold
Hair loss and crusting in the mucous membrane, especially around the eyes, nasal area and cheeks
Lethargy
Depression
Abnormal posture
Facial masses

Causes

Because there are many causes to rabbit red eye, it is often difficult to identify the exact cause. However, some factors may include:

Bacterial infections, including Treponema cuniculi (or rabbit syphilis), which can cause swollen eyelids
Conjunctivitis, a common disorder causing red eye that can result from allergies, bacterial or viral irritants; sometimes occurring as a side-effect of a respiratory tract infection
Keratitis, which is usually a fungal infection of the eye, and which can follow an injury to the eye
Glaucoma, which if left untreated, can cause blindness
Dental diseases, which can bring debris in the eye, causing inflammation or blocking a tear duct

Diagnosis

The veterinarian will run a variety of laboratory tests to diagnose the cause for the rabbit's red eye. This includes skin and other type of cultures, as well as exams testing for cataracts and other ocular diseases that can impair vision and health. If the veterinarian is still unable to diagnose the condition, they may run special tests including:

Tonometry – measures the eye pressure in order to diagnose glaucoma and other related disorders
Schirmer tear test – detects dry eye , a condition which can lead to red eye
Cytologic examinations – identifies infections within the tear ductsand surrounding tissues
Fluorescein stains – helps rule out ulcerative keratitis, a condition which can lead to red eye

Seizures (Epilepsy) in Rabbits

April 10, 2018 Dieases, Rabbit No comments

Idiopathic Epileptic Seizures in Rabbits

Rabbits, much like humans, can suffer from epileptic seizures. Occurring when specific neurons in the brain reach a point of “hyper excitability.” This, in turn, can lead to bouts of involuntary body movement or function in the rabbit. You must be very careful with the rabbit during these periods of excited cerebral activity, as the seizures can cause brain damage.

Symptoms and Types

The signs and symptoms of seizures may depend on the cause for the seizure. Seizures can be due to an epileptic episode or may be non-epileptic, caused by genetic malformations or lesions in the brain. Regardless of the type, some signs of epilepsy that are relatively common include:

Rolling of the body and signs of distress
Paddling of the hands or limbs
Mental confusion
Blindness
Head tilt
Loss of muscle tone
Thick, white and creamy fluid or pus found in the ear
Fainting (although this is rare in rabbits)

Causes

Certain breeds of rabbit may be more likely to experience seizures than others. For example, dwarf breeds are more likely to have suppressed immune systems, and thus are more likely to become exposed to an infection with Encephalitozoon cuniculi, which can cause seizures. White, blue-eyed rabbits and lop-eared rabbits are also more likely to to develop forms of epilepsy or seizures.

Other causes for seizures include:

Metabolic causes, including low blood sugar
Toxicities, including exposure to heavy metals and other chemicals
Cardiovascular diseases
Genetic or externally caused epilepsy
A head injury leading to brain damage
Structural causes like brain lesions, bacterial infections or parasitic infection (e.g., toxoplasmosis)

Diagnosis

Laboratory tests will look for structural brain lesions and take into consideration exposure to seizure-causing toxins. The veterinarian will also run blood tests to help identify multi-system diseases or infections which can cause the seizures, as well as imaging, such as an MRI or CAT scan, to rule out any lesions, tumors or inflammation of the central nervous system.

Matted Hair and Hairballs in the Stomach in Rabbits

April 10, 2018 Dieases, Rabbit No comments

Trichobezoars in Rabbits

A trichobezoar is a technical reference for a mat of hair that has been ingested, and that is often combined with thick or undigested food. It is located in the stomach and/or intestines.

It is not abnormal to find hair in a rabbit's stomach, since they self-groom, and this normally would not cause symptoms or be a cause for concern or a sign of disease. However, inspissated stomach contents (thick, dry, and less fluid and motile), which may include hair, is an abnormal finding and a cause for further inspection. The finding of inspissated contents or a mass of hair may suggest that your rabbit is receiving too little fiber in its diet, or that there is a problem with its gastrointestinal tract.

Unlike cats, which also can suffer from excessive trichobezoars, rabbits are not physically capable of vomiting the contents of their stomachs. For this reason, everything that goes into a rabbit's mouth must be able to pass through the digestive tract, otherwise, the presence of excess hair can lead to severe complications, such as intestinal blockage. If the issue is not resolved quickly, the condition can be fatal.

Symptoms and Types

The signs, symptoms, and type of trichobezoars suffered by the rabbit can depend largely on the causes for the disease and the severity of the problem. Some common signs and symptoms of matted hair in the stomach may include:

Inappropriate eating habits, including consumption of too many pellets, cereals, and grains during the day
History of illness or stress
Weight loss
Chronic disease
Scant and small fecal pellets
Diarrhea
Abdominal distension
Slow movement in the stomach, distension or hardening of the stomach
Firm ingestible material found in the stomach
Few abdominal sounds coming from the stomach
Delayed emptying of the stomach
Abdominal pain on palpation or touching of the stomach
Decreased activity, and too much time spent in caged quarters
Teeth grinding, hunched posture and other signs of pain
Weakness or collapse
Symptoms of shock

Causes

There are several causes for trichobezoars, or hairballs, in the stomachs of rabbits. These include improper nutrition, and dehydration of the stomach contents. Sometimes metabolic diseases, pain, or stress can contribute to the formation and accumulation of hairballs or matted hair in the stomach. Usually, the finding is that too little gastrointestinal motility is to blame for the collection of hair and other materials in the stomach. One of the culprits may be feeding the rabbit too little hay or coarse fiber, necessary for pushing contents through the digestive tract. Anorexia - an inability to eat -- or simply a prolonged poor appetite can also contribute to the problem.

Diagnosis

There will always be conditions to rule out prior to diagnosing trichobezoars, or related conditions. Diagnostic imaging, such as what can be viewed on X-ray, will allow your veterinarian to investigate the functions of the colon and gastrointestinal tract, and to view the stasis (obstruction), or inability of the digestive tract to pass fecal matter through to the anus. Your doctor will need to determine if there is in fact an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract, or in the motility, and whether a life-threatening emergency may exist. If an obstruction us found, emergency treatment will be necessary, as this can quickly because a life threatening situation.

In acute (sudden) cases, shock may occur, so it is important to take sensible action quickly. Distension of the stomach is usually clear, and a quick inspection by your veterinarian will find food and hair in the gastric contents. Ultrasound is an excellent diagnostic tool for visualization of the stomach's contents, and to confirm the diagnosis.